LONDON DRAMATIC LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5769, 13 January 1897, Page 4

LONDON DRAMATIC LETTER.

[Correspondent " Canterbury Times."J LONDON, Nov. 28. It- has surprised me to find with what short superficial "pars" the contemporary chronicler dismisses the death of Mrs ScoUSiddbns. Even the Era does not appear to know much about her. And yet this lady was the Marion Terry of her day, monoplising with Mrs Rousby, Adelaide Neilson and (even then) Adelina Patti, the photographers' windows, and a " legitimate " actress of considerable scope. I renJemberher wellas acharmingßosalind, and also as the heroine of a gloomy but powerful play " Ordeal by Touch." It was with the latter I fancy she starred Australia. Mrs Scott-Siddons would, people used to say, have been a finer actress if she could have forgotten her great-grandmama. She had neither the immortal Sarah's majestic proportions nor vibrating voice, but she aspired to both. Her voice did ultimately become fairly full and round, and her attitudes were Siddons attitudes. She recitedAdmirably, and in America her readings went down well, but London failed to "catch on." .When Bernhardt pays you her second, visit next year she hopes to make a sensation in two Scripture parts, Salome and Mary Magdalen. Sims Eeeves is down with congestion of the lungs, and his departure for Australia will again be postponed. The Robespierre drama, in which Hilda Spong plays heroine to-night to Hermann Vezin's Great Dictator, has been christened " The Kiss of Delilah " It is not an hisI torical play,' but a love story. Lady Halle has been busy revising and correcting the correspondence of her late ' husband, and, as a result, the many admirerers of Sir Charles Halle will soon be able to possess an interesting volume of musical reminiscences. Another book of peculiar value to musicians will be that dealing with the life of the late Clara Schumann. The famous pianist and teacher of pianists kept very careful notes of incidents connected with her career, so there ought to be plenty of good material for a biography. Another of Mr Wilson Barrett's sons has •left England for the colonies. Mr Alfred Barrett has been living for some two years past in Paris. He has just sailed from London with his wife and child for New Zealand, where he intends to devote himself to farming. For some time he represented his father in the management of the Leeds Grand Theatre, and during his stay in that city he founded a printing business, which his father has since taken over, and a weekly paper which is still in existence. Mr Alfred Barrett was originally intended for the medical profession, but he left Edinburgh after a session or two of the dissecting room in order to devote himself to literature. His eldest brother, Mr Frank Barrett, is a trooper in the service of the Chartered Company. Mr Alfred Ellis, of Baker Street, has taken a number of charming portraits of Hilda Spong, in the " Duchess of Coolgardie." Some of them (rather indifferently reproduced) appear in last week's Sketch. If, however, you want to see how nice the fair Australian really looks at Drury Lane, you should get the photos themselves. The run of " The Duchess " comes to an end next Thursday, and Mr Coleman then means to try a Frencli revolution drama entitled "Robespierre" for a few nights. Miss Spong has the leading part. I'm sorry to say that this last week Miss Spong has suffered from a relaxed throat and cold, and been out of the bill at Drury Lano for three nights.. She was looking really ill on Thursday evening when I saw her for a few minutes, but neither her mother's persuasions nor those of friends could persuade the plucky young lady to send for her understudy. Miss Spong ■ complains bitterly that the sun never shines in England. Occasionally a dull red ball, presumably that luminary, may be perceived through tho fog, but she neither finds warmth nor comfort in it. During the Drury Lane season Miss Spong has had many flattering offers. Mr Willard wanted her to go to America with him as leading lady, and Mr Tree also offered her an engagement for his tour in the same country. Should the Australian actress be at liberty when the latter opens the new Her Majesty's Theatre next summer, he has promised her the option of joining his company. Altogether, Miss Spong i 3 doing as well professionally as the heart of woman could desire.